Intertwined Hearts Series (4 book collection): (Intertwined Hearts, An Exceptional Twist, Tangled Paths & Grafted Vines)

by Kimi Flores

  “Shit,” he whispered under his breath. “I told you we shouldn’t have come.”

  As the pain eased, I placed my hand on his face. “And I said we need to do this. You need this, and I’m right here with you.”

  He kissed the inside of my wrist, leading me down the red carpet. "We'll talk to a couple of reporters, then get the hell out of here, deal?"

  “Deal,” I said in as calm a voice as possible.

  We walked up to a tiny redhead wearing a skimpy black dress. "Hey, Josh. How are you doing?" she flirted.

  Even though Josh told me he'd been alone for years, I couldn't help but wonder how well this redhead knew my husband.

  "Pretty good, Victoria,” he said casually. “And you?"

  He seemed so comfortable with her, I couldn't shake my instant jealously as I broke out in a sweat.

  "Not bad.” Victoria dipped her head and batted her eyelashes. “Mind answering some questions?"

  I might pluck those damn eyelashes out if she keeps that up.

  "Fire away." Josh flashed his million-dollar smile for all the cameras.

  All of a sudden, a strong pain hit me, expanding into my back and lower stomach. My legs felt weak, and I grabbed on to Josh. No more time to be jealous. I needed to get the hell out now. “I think we need to leave, Josh. Now. Unless you want your daughter saying hi to all of these cameras.”

  ⁂

  Josh

  “Push, baby, push.” I grasped onto one of Bri’s thighs as a nurse held the other to her chest.

  Her screams tore my heart apart. I’d hoped her labor would be easier than this. But when we finally got into a room, she was already fully dilated, and her window to get an epidural had closed.

  So now this was on me. I had to be everything—her comforter, her pain reliever. Whatever I could do, I would. “Come on, baby. You can do it.” I released her leg, letting her relax a moment before the next contraction hit. When her head snapped in my direction, I almost took a step back. As much as I loved my wife, she was not her sweet self at the moment. Her features had transformed and she looked more like a demonic character from one of those freaky horror films.

  Where did my beautiful wife go?

  “That’s easy for you to say, asshole,” she spat at me, her hair a sweaty mess. “You don’t have a human being forcing itself out of your body. How about we wrap some wire around your balls, and I pull on it every time I feel a contraction?” There was a scary malicious glee in her crazed eyes.

  I sucked in a breath, afraid to move. As much as I wanted to say something soft and comforting, all I could managed was a gulp.

  The doctor announced, “Here comes another one, get time to push again.”

  “No, I’m not ready,” she screeched. “I wanna stop.” She began to sob before a guttural ‘son of a bitch’ came out of her mouth.

  Still unsure, I grabbed onto her leg again as she bared down.

  “The head is coming out now,” the OBGYN declared as Bri screeched again.

  I snuck a peek and wished I hadn’t. Shit. I pressed a hand to my forehead, feeling woozy at the sight of what was going on down there. Then I realized it was, in fact, a head.

  Holy shit. How is that even possible?

  I never thought this would be as fascinating as it was, but I couldn’t move. My daughter was about to make her appearance, and I didn’t want to miss a thing. The only problem was that my wife needed me more.

  Refocusing on Bri, I shook her a little. “Babe, open your eyes,” I said, my voice full of awe. “Look, she’s coming. She has so much hair. Just a little more Bri, please! You can do this!”

  Her eyes opened, and she looked at the large standalone mirror on the side of the doctor that showed our daughter’s arrival. Though she was still yelling as she pushed, she seemed to calm. Giving one final push, she cried out at the top of her lungs, and I watched the doctor maneuvering shoulders and limbs until the baby was out—she was out, and screaming for all the world to know she had arrived.

  Overwhelmed, tears filled both our eyes as we held onto each other. I gave Bri a light squeeze. “Baby, you did it. I’m so proud of you.” I kissed her cheek trying my damndest not to blubber.

  The doctor held Ella up. “Daddy, you’ve got yourself a sweet princess here. Want to cut the cord?” He handed me the scissors.

  Um—not really.

  I stared at the silver things in my hand and cleared my throat. “Will it hurt either of them?”

  “No, neither one will feel it.” He assured me with a smile, like he’d heard that question a million times before.

  I took a look at the cord before reaching over and cutting between the clamps. I set the scissors on a tray near me and had to force myself not to dissolve into a bucket of mush. Wow, this is real. I’m a daddy now. I turned to face my bride, trying not to lose it. Placing my hands on her face, I leaned in and kissed her lips. “Thank you,” I whispered, hoping she knew how special this moment was, how incredible she was, how amazing our daughter was. I felt so full, more than I had just a few seconds ago. How was that possible?

  Ella’s bundled up body was placed in Bri’s arms as the doctor continued to work between Bri’s legs. I didn’t dare look down again. Overwhelmed, I touched my daughter’s little head, then rubbed my knuckle on her soft cheek. She had a full head of dark hair just like her mama and she tried with all of her power to open her eyes to see the world around her.

  My heart expanded as I glanced at my wife, holding our precious baby. She was so tiny and perfect. I had to clear the emotions from my throat so I could speak. “We haven’t picked Ella’s middle name yet, but I have an idea for it?”

  With all the busyness these last few months, the middle name had kind of slipped to the back burner, and we never did finalize it. But that didn’t matter now. I knew what I wanted it to be.

  “Sure,” Bri said tiredly, smiling up at me as she enjoyed our daughter in her arms. “What were you thinking?”

  “Grace,” I said softly.

  “Grace? Like Madison’s grandma’s name?”

  “Yeah. Because you gave me grace, even when I was an asshole to you. And because—” I paused and shrugged, feeling the emotions taking over me again. “We’ve all made mistakes, and have been given grace at one time or another. I want her to know that it’s okay to mess up as long as she makes amends. Don’t you think it fits?”

  Bri glanced down at our baby again and sighed. “Grace. It’s perfect. Ella Grace.”

  “Ella Grace,” I repeated tenderly. And Bri was right. The name was perfect. Just like our new baby girl.

  ⁂

  Bri

  “How ya doin’, princess?”

  I looked up from my beautiful daughter’s eyes to find my father leaning against the hospital room’s door frame, holding a huge square vase filled with flowers. I was familiar with this bouquet of pink roses, pink Asiatic lilies, pale peach carnations, and pale green mini carnations.

  He must have called Leah for help with those. She knows that’s my favorite arrangement for new baby girls. The thought of my father going out of his way to make sure he was giving me something meaningful filled me with joy.

  “Daddy. You made it.” I didn’t know if it was because of my raging hormones or what, but tears welled up for the thousandth time since my daughter had been born. I loved the look of pride in my father’s eyes.

  I cradled Ella Grace in my arms as my dad approached and kissed the top of my head then placed the large floral arrangement on a table by my bedside. “I’m so proud of you, baby girl. Are you feeling okay?” He ran his fingers tenderly along Ella’s soft cheek.

  “Yeah, I’m good.” I gave him a pointed look. “Now that it’s over.” Everything south still hurt, but I wasn’t about to talk to my father about that.

  He pulled a chair up to the side of my bed and sat down. “So listen. I know we talked about this and you said you didn’t want to find out, but when you told me you were pregnant, I searched your old
bathroom and found a hairbrush you left behind then got a DNA test taken.”

  That’s when I realized he had a letter sized envelope in his hand. I handed Ella over to Josh. My eyes darted from the envelope to my father’s face, then to Josh and back to the envelope. “Daddy, I told you I don’t need to know. You are my father, no matter what this says.” My anxiety level began to spike and I imagined if I was hooked to a heart monitor, nurses would come charging into the room to see what was going on.

  I was hyperaware of where that envelope was at all times now that I knew what was in it. It sat on his lap when he held his hands up, blinking quickly. “I know, and I feel the same way, but,” he pointed to Ella, “she has a right to know who her biological grandfather is, and I didn’t want there to be any obstacles in her way when that day came. You can just lock this away until she wants to find out, but that baby girl deserves to know where her lineage comes from and shouldn’t have to go through hurdles to find out.”

  I swallowed the huge lump in my throat, then begged Josh with my eyes for the right answer.

  He slowly shook his head as he rocked our daughter back and forth. “Up to you, babe.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead, and I momentarily closed my eyes, letting his strength seep into me. “I agree Ella has a right to know someday, but it’s your decision if you want to find out now.”

  My eyes zeroed in on the envelope. I knew this wasn’t a decision I had to make at this very moment but like everything else that had fallen into place for me, it felt—right.

  Could the answer on that piece of paper change everything? Would it really change anything? He will always be my daddy.

  “I see your wheels spinning, princess. You don’t have to look at it now.” My dad grabbed my hand and rubbed his thumb along my knuckles.

  Taking a deep breath, I gathered up my strength as my curiosity continued to build. “I’ll look, but like I said, you are still my daddy no matter what.”

  Smiling, he stood up while nodding then handed the envelope to me. I breathed in, exhaled then opened the seal. My heart beat so fast and hard, I thought it might come out of my chest. As I pulled the slip of paper out and unfolded it, I closed my eyes and took one more deep breath hoping I didn’t start to hyperventilate.

  I can do this. It will all be fine.

  My eyes popped open, scanning the words that had the ability to alter my entire world, and there it was—the answer I hadn’t wanted to look for. Sighing, I nearly burst into tears as the final answer stared me in the face. My gaze shifted to find my daddy walking around the end of my bed toward Josh.

  The grin on his face couldn’t be mistaken. He’d read the results already.

  Extending his hands toward Josh, his words sounded like the most beautiful song I’d ever heard. “Now let me hold my granddaughter.”

  The End

  Grafted Vines

  Book 4 – Zachary & Dani’s story

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Epilogue

  Intertwined Hearts Series Epilogue

  Prologue

  Dani

  Stars dotted the clear night sky like an endless ocean of twinkling lights, each bright, each beautiful. I leaned my head back to take it all in as Zachary and I strolled down the steep driveway and through the tall iron gates.

  “What a gorgeous night.” I sighed, wrapping my arms around my body, unable to wipe the smile off my face.

  I’d grown up in a brightly lit city where streetlights drowned out the beautiful, glowing night canvas. Out here, in Santa Ynez’s wine country, every star and galaxy was fighting to take center stage.

  Using my hands to lift the hair off my neck, I took in the scenery and enjoyed the fresh air as it kissed my skin. A long white picket fence defined the property to the left, and grass covered the ground until it ended at the asphalt. Huge trees stood proudly on the other side of the street, leaving no other place to walk other than the road. But this time of night, the street was empty.

  My skin prickled with goosebumps as I felt Zachary’s eyes on me, just like they’d been this whole evening. I smiled when I’d actually caught him this time. We’d been doing a back and forth flirting tango all night that had almost felt like an invitation to hope for so much more. I was sure the wine we’d drank played a role in this sultry dance.

  Clearing his throat, he removed his suit jacket. “You must be freezing.” Before I had a chance to shiver from the chilly air, he placed his jacket over my shoulders and slipped his arm between my lower back and the coat. “Here, I’ll keep you warm.”

  If he knew how his touch affected me, he wouldn’t have held me so tight.

  The light smell of cologne, mixed with his familiar earthy scent, drifted off his jacket and made my mind swim with thoughts of his caresses from when we’d danced earlier. The mere fact that his jacket encased my body had me wanting things he’d never allowed in the past. My mind was racing with images of us doing a real tango, this time naked between his sheets.

  It was more than just his contact that had me fired up. From the first moment, years ago, when my eyes had drank him in, I’d thought he was gorgeous and completely unattainable for a girl like me. A curvy girl my size, that is. I wasn’t putting myself down with that thought, just being realistic.

  His short, wavy sandy-blonde hair and blue eyes that held so much compassion, often reminded me that he was a man I could only dream of having. Add to that, his body had the perfect balance of muscles from doing manual labor on his vineyard. He was much taller than my five foot, seven-inch frame and actually made me feel petite. A big girl like me rarely felt tiny next to a man.

  Just like every other time he was close, I felt a sense of ease. That was something that had been lacking in my life, everywhere but in his arms. “Thank you.” I tugged on the lapels, bringing the jacket closer, trying to cage his arm around me.

  Blinking, I tried to clear my head. I was getting carried away and needed to concentrate on something other than the nearness of our bodies. My smile widened when I took a quick glance back at the beautiful ranch we’d just left. It belonged to my best friend, Bri, and her new husband, Josh. They’d just gotten married tonight under the huge oak trees that lined their front yard. Each monstrous tree had been decorated with white twinkling lights, adding to the romance of the intimate affair.

  “I still can’t believe we pulled off planning that wedding and reception in just five days.” My heels made a scuffing noise on the asphalt as we strolled down the street, heading toward Zachary’s vineyard home.

  “I can. You girls make a great team.” Besides me, he was referring to my sister, Leah—who happened to be the florist in our little clan—and her best friend, Abby. They’d both gotten married recently and still had the wedding decorating bug. Seeing how I wasn’t married, though I longed for it, I’d only followed their lead.

  Leaning in, he inhaled deeply and spoke near my ear. “I don’t believe there’s much you can’t do.”

  I was sure he meant the three of us, but I let myself dream that he was only referring to me.

  Zachary and I had known each other for a few years, and there wasn’t a day that went by when I hadn’t secretly dreamed of the possibility of him and I. We definitely had chemistry, but neither of us had taken a chance to see where this could go, if anywhere. On top of the fact that I’d never had the opportunity to be with someone as amazing as Zachary, we
both seemed protective of our close friendship.

  There had been a few times here and there when he’d leaned in a little too close, and I’d thought he was going to kiss me. But moments later, he’d pull away which led me to believe it had all been in my head.

  I waited for him to withdraw his affection once again tonight, but his hand was still firmly against my lower back.

  There was another barrier between us that I’d often wondered about. He hadn’t given me the whole story, but one night over a few glasses of wine, he’d told me that he was divorced. The look of soul crushing pain in his eyes had been heart wrenching, but when I’d touched his arm and asked what happened, he’d shut me out, adamant that he wanted to forget all about it.

  I was all too familiar with not wanting to discuss past emotions. What do you do with an ache that just won’t go away? One that could never be soothed. That, along with knowing nothing would develop romantically between us, made it easy to let go.

  Until tonight.

  Maybe it was just the intimacy of the night, but I felt something shifting. The air between us was intensifying as he walked me back to my truck that was parked at his vineyard. These new feelings both excited and scared the crap out of me.

  “I don’t think you should drive home tonight. You can stay in the guest room.” He said as we walked past the winery’s tasting room and down the long, dirt-covered driveway that led to his home.

  Guest room?

  Like a bucket of cold water being thrown on my heated skin, I realized that was the end of our flirting for the night.

  That’s what I get for hoping for something that will never happen.

  Knowing I’d have a forty-five-minute drive down a windy road, I’d made sure to measure how much I drank. It was just enough to celebrate my best friend's marital bliss and also numb my own sadness of being alone, but not enough to restrict my driving ability. “I only had a few glasses of wine, and it’s been several hours since I finished the last one. I’ll be fine.” Casually, I tried to pull away, but he gripped me tighter.